1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a gas processing apparatus that performs processing on a process target by supplying gas in a chamber from an injector that is air-tightly inserted into the chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
As one method for depositing a thin film (e.g., silicon oxide film (SiO2)) on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, there is an Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) method. For example, patent document 1 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-135510) discloses a film deposition apparatus that uses the ALD method. The known apparatus has 5 wafers arranged on a rotation table inside a vacuum chamber (process chamber) in a circumferential direction of the rotation table and has multiple gas injectors arranged in a manner facing the rotation table. Further, in a case of attaching each of the gas injectors to the vacuum chamber in this apparatus, metal gas pipes such as so-called flexible pipes being formed into bellow-like shapes are arranged at an outer side of the vacuum chamber.
More specifically, a through hole having a diameter larger than an outer diameter of the gas injector is formed at a sidewall surface of the vacuum chamber. The gas injector is inserted into the through hole from, for example, an inner side of the vacuum chamber. Further, an annular sleeve and an O-ring are arranged between an inner sidewall of the through hole and an outer peripheral surface of the gas injector in this order inside an inner area of the vacuum chamber. Then, an annular tool is pressed against the O-ring from an outer side of the vacuum chamber to an inner side of the vacuum chamber. Accordingly, by restraining the movement of the sleeve and O-ring with the inner wall surface of the through hole (more specifically, an upright surface extending from the inner wall surface to the outer peripheral surface of the gas injector throughout a circumferential direction), the O-ring becomes crushed (compressed), so that a space between the inner wall surface and the gas injector becomes hermetically (air-tightly) sealed. Then, one end of the flexible pipe is air-tightly inserted into the through hole, so that the end of the flexible pipe is positioned facing an open end of the gas injector provided inside the through hole. Thereby, there can be obtained a configuration that can supply gas into a vacuum chamber via the gas injector while the inside of the vacuum chamber is maintained to be air tight.
In a case where the above-described method is used for a configuration that supplies gas inside a vacuum chamber, it is necessary to maintain a sufficient space at an outer side of the vacuum chamber to the extent of handling the flexible pipe during attachment and detachment of the flexible pipe. This leads to increase of the footprint of the film deposition apparatus. Further, because the O-ring of the gas injector also serves as a sealing part of the vacuum chamber itself, the sealing part of the vacuum chamber is released to the atmosphere when the gas injector is detached. Therefore, in a case of, for example, detaching the gas injector for maintenance purposes, vacuum leak may occur due to maintenance. Such problems are not described in the above-described patent document 1.